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An Introduction to Mike Lupica: Sports Stories and Life Lessons for Tween Readers

by Devon Corneal

Mike Lupica is a longtime sports columnist and commentator who started his career covering the New York Knicks when he was just 23. In the past 30 years, he’s written for newspapers and magazines, authored biographies of professional athletes, and appeared as a television anchor for ESPN. He has also coached his kids’ basketball, baseball, and soccer teams and, in his spare time, writes bestselling middle grade and YA novels about, you guessed it, sports. When it comes to athletics, it seems there’s nothing Lupica doesn’t know or can’t do.

Lupica’s stories combine the best of team sports: suspense, hard work, dedication, cooperation, obstacles, victory, defeat, and life lessons that stay with you long after the game is over. His books engage hardcore fans, reluctant readers, rookies, and sports junkies because he uses his real-life experiences to create a fictional world of young boys striving on and off the field that feels relevant and deeply personal. Most importantly, Lupica’s stories remind readers that sports is merely a part of our lives and that athletes are measured not just by their success on the field, but by who they are off of it. The world of sports, he says, “teaches kids about being on a team, being part of something greater than themselves if they play hard and well and unselfishly. If they can learn that, they can apply it to anything they do, in or out of sports, for the rest of their lives.”

Lupica is the author of over 30 books for adults and children. We’ve compiled what we think is the “essential” list of his middle grade titles for the football, basketball, or baseball enthusiast in your family, including the recently released football story Lone Stars.

For Football Fans

The latest Lupica story tackles the timely issue of the effects of concussions on football players. When Clay starts to notice behavior changes in his beloved coach, he knows he has to help him get through the season and leave the game with dignity and pride.

Everything is bigger in Texas, including football, as Jake Cullen is learning. He’s the son and brother of two championship quarterbacks and he has a lot to live up to. Being a star quarterback is easy, it’s figuring out how to live his life off the field that gets hard.

Sports are often a luxury in poor school districts, depriving kids and communities of the bond that comes from a shared love of Friday night football games. In this story of grit and determination, Will Tyler decides that no matter how poor his town is, he isn’t going to let hard times end his season without a fight.

Nate Brodie has one chance to change everything. He can win a million dollars if he makes a single pass during halftime at an NFL game and solve his family’s financial trouble in an instant. When the pressure starts to get to him, Nate has to learn to block out everything but what’s really important.

Tommy Gallagher is a fierce competitor on the field — and it’s no surprise, considering he’s the son of a firefighter who raised him to be tough. But when Tommy’s father is injured in a blaze, Tommy has to discover the true meaning of bravery and the limits of the risks he should take.

For Basketball Fans

Jayson has a lot to deal with — his mother’s death, foster care, a new school, and a new basketball team. Luckily, his new foster family won’t give up on him or his dream of making it to the state finals.

When Danny Walker is wrongfully cut from the local travel team, he’s devastated. Thankfully, his father, a former star player himself, knows that Danny has what it takes. When the two join together to form their own travel team, nothing can stand in their way.

This sequel to Travel Team reminds readers that although Danny Walker is a small kid, he has a big game. Now Danny is going to summer camp with the best players in the country and he’ll need to dig deep to overcome challenges he never imagined.

For Baseball Fans

Brian thinks being a batboy for his dad’s Major League Baseball team is a dream come true. Until he sees how some of the players behave when they’re not in front of the crowd. Then Brian learns that families and teams are far more complicated than they appear.

In baseball, you’ve got to adapt — which is exactly what Hutch is doing by agreeing to play second base instead of shortstop. But when Hutch discovers his father giving tips to the guy who took Hutch’s spot, Hutch has to decide exactly what he’s willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.

Michael Arroyo is a Cuban immigrant, an orphan, and a kid with a serious arm. His fastball could help propel his team all the way to the Little League World Series, unless questions about his age threaten not only his baseball dreams but also his life in the United States.